The Sierra Leone Peoples Party female Member of Parliament, Hon. Alice Kumabeh has complained to the Speaker of Parliament regarding the pollution of the Taia River which has caused serious problems for the people of Moyamba District.

The MP who stood under Standing Order 23 on Thursday 6th June 2024 made the plea for the restoration of the past glory of the river in the Chambers of Parliament, Tower Hill in Freetown.

According to the female MP, the river was depleted and polluted by illegal miners in Tonkolili District, adding that she has reported the matter in the last Parliament and a Committee was set but nothing has been done.

She stressed that the river has been seriously damaged, and miners continue to destroyed the rivers from Pampana river down to Taia river which now seriously needed government’s intervention.

Hon Kumabeh went further that, she has also alerted the Ministry of Mines, the Committee on Mines and Agriculture regarding the current state of the rivers but to no avail.

“Our people along the riverine areas used to drink this water but today the water have been polluted by illegal miners who use heavy duty machines to mine gold” she cried.

She pleaded on the current speaker Sengepoh Thomas to look into the matter and summon the relevant authorities to answer questions regard this terrible development of the rivers.

Responding the Speaker of Parliament, Sengepoh Solomon Thomas alerted the Committee on Mines in Parliament to invite the Environment Protection Agency, Ministry of Mines, Agriculture and other organs to answer questions relating to the personate submissions of Hon Kumabeh regarding the Taia River.

However, the Chairman of the Committee on Mines and Mineral Resources, Hon Emerson Lamina said the report he laid on the table of Parliament captures all what Hon Alice Kumabeh submitted under SO23.

He said his Committee will soon summon all relevant players on Mines to answer queries on the status of the river polluted by illegal miners and the needful will be done afterwards.